The U.S. reported its first human death from H5N1 bird flu, marking a significant milestone in the outbreak. The patient was over 65 with underlying health conditions and was hospitalized in Louisiana in December.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging health care workers to accelerate bird flu testing for patients hospitalized with flu symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today released an advisory recommending clinicians expedite subtyping of type A influenza samples from hospitalized patients, particularly individuals in an intensive care unit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says hospitals treating people for the flu should test them for avian influenza within 24 hours.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the patient was over 65 years of age and had existing medical conditions. Due to this, he developed severe illness after being exposed by the bird flu.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently confirmed the first death in the United States linked to H5N1 bird flu. The patient, who was from

A person in Louisiana exposed to bird flu by a backyard flock has died. This marks the first U.S. human death linked to H5N1 avian flu.

Learn about the CDC's new measures for clinicians, including prompt testing for bird flu and antiviral treatment, to respond to the outbreak.

FRIDAY, Jan. 17, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging health care workers to accelerate bird flu testing for patients hospitalized with flu symptoms, as the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak continues to grow in the United States and Canada.

The CDC is calling for expanded testing of bird flu after a child in California tested positive for the virus despite no known contact with animals.

The CDC is monitoring developments closely because the United States is in the middle of flu season. With more patients flooding hospitals seeking care for seasonal flu, testing for avian influenza could slow down, and that could delay public health measures needed to prevent disease spread.

Avian influenza A (H5N1) has mutated, so the symptoms of bird flu could change as more people get sick in 2025.